We ordered green tea. Every time the door opened, I looked up. I didn’t have a plan. Nothing that I would have wanted to tell László. I just wanted to see the streets. The dusty, oldish grey buildish. The cracks in the decaying walls. The pale green of the trees. The eyes of the people here. Their mouths, their language. There was something I wanted to decode. My hands were just smoothing the uneven tabletop when he said it. You’re waiting for someone else, he said.

What does literature mean to you?Susanne Gregor: Literature, to me, is the most beautiful form of art, because I love language. Also, it’s the best way to practice empathy, and it’s a way of recording history and the times we live in for the next generations.

What do cafés mean to you?SG: For writers, cafés are the best places to observe people and listen in on conversations. Besides, writing in a café keeps you safe from the desire to clean your apartment instead of working on your novel.

Why did you choose Café Phil?SG: I chose Café Phil because Vienna itself is classical enough, so I prefer going to more modern cafés. Besides, I like the mixture of bookstore and café, of lingering and reading.

What do you do when you’re not at a café?SG: That’s easy: When I’m not at a café, I’m at the playground with my four-year-old.